1. Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a laser printer.
2. Related Art
A known electrophotographic image forming apparatus has a photosensitive drum, a drum cartridge removably attached to a main body case, a development roller, and a development cartridge removably attached to the drum cartridge.
In such an image forming apparatus, only the development cartridge can be attached to or removed from the drum cartridge mounted on the main body case with the drum cartridge being attached to the main body case, and the drum cartridge can be attached to or detached from the main body case while the development cartridge is attached to the drum cartridge.
In relation to such an image forming apparatus, a known image forming apparatus has a press mechanism which comes into contact with a development cartridge when the development cartridge is attached to a drum cartridge mounted in a main body case, to thus press the development cartridge toward the drum cartridge (see, e.g., JP-A-2003-084647).
In such an image forming apparatus, the development roller is pressed against a photosensitive drum by pressing the development cartridge toward the drum cartridge by means of a press mechanism, to thus form an image.
The press mechanism is provided so as to protrude toward the development cartridge. Accordingly, a path by way of the development cartridge is attached or detached (hereinafter simply called a “attachment-and-detachment path”) must be bent so as to avoid the press mechanism. When the attachment-and-detachment path is formed by bending, an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus is unavoidable.